crane

1 of 2

noun

ˈkrān 

1

: any of a family (Gruidae of the order Gruiformes) of tall wading birds superficially resembling the herons but structurally more nearly related to the rails

2

: any of several herons

3

: an often horizontal projection swinging about a vertical axis: such as

a

: a machine for raising, shifting, and lowering heavy weights by means of a projecting swinging arm or with the hoisting apparatus supported on an overhead track

b

: an iron arm in a fireplace for supporting kettles

c

: a boom for holding a movie or television camera

Illustration of crane

• crane 1

crane

2 of 2

verb

craned; craning

transitive verb

1

: to raise or lift by or as if by a crane

2

: to stretch toward an object of attention

craning her neck to get a better view

intransitive verb

1

: to stretch one's neck toward an object of attention

I craned out of the window of my compartment

—Webb Waldron

2

: hesitate

Synonyms

Verb

• lift
• hoist
• raise

Examples of crane in a Sentence

Verb

We craned our necks toward the stage.

craned her head to see the roof

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

An American flag fluttered from a crane parked at the mouth of the driveway. —Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2025

While watching a nesting crane keeping a chick warm beneath its feathers, she was startled when a bright yellow gosling popped out instead of a crane colt. —Anne Readel, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 June 2025

Verb

Her grandpa had been a crop-duster in his younger days, and Dyer remembers the two of them driving through the fields and pausing to crane their heads out the window when planes flew overhead, showering the earth, and Dyer, with pesticides. —Kate Raphael, Discover Magazine, 23 June 2025

The four of us craned our necks, keeping a lookout for an incident. —Kent Russell, Harper's Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English cran, from Old English; akin to Old High German krano crane, Greek geranos, Latin grus

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1570, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing crane

• crane fly
• crane operator
• sandhill crane
• whooping crane

Rhymes for crane

• ane
• bane
• blain
• brain
• cane
• chaine
• cheyne
• deign
• drain
• fain
• fane
• feign

Kids Definition

crane

1 of 2 noun

ˈkrān 

1

: any of a family of tall wading birds related to the rails

2

: any of several herons

3

a

: a machine with a swinging arm for lifting and carrying heavy weights

b

: a mechanical arm that swings freely from a center and is used to support or carry a weight

crane

2 of 2 verb

craned; craning

1

: to raise or lift by or as if by a crane

2

: to stretch out one's neck to see better

Biographical Definition

Crane 1 of 3

biographical name (1)

ˈkrān 

(Harold) Hart 1899–1932 American poet

Crane

2 of 3

biographical name (2)

Stephen 1871–1900 American writer

Crane

3 of 3

biographical name (3)

Walter 1845–1915 English artist